Published Tuesdays and Fridays. Letters to the editor with pictures. Since 0202.
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  [Money Tree] Joe and Meri-Lynn Britz of Coconuts Bar and Package at 30535 Overseas Hwy on Big Pine Key, delivered it’s annual Christmas tree check to the new food pantry that opened on Feb. 5th at St Peter’s Catholic Church. Every year Coconuts puts up a huge Christmas tree for it’s customers and provides them a way to give to those in need. This year the customers raised $685.00 in small bills pinned on the tree. Coconuts always matches that figure. This year, one of Coconuts employees, James Rush, went above and beyond as he knew there was great need because of Irma. He continued to collect from customers and friends and raised a total of $1275.00. Father Jesus “Jets” Medina and his office manager, Nancy McCrosson, D.R.E are shown her receiving a check for their Food Pantry for $2,645.00.
“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.” ~Charles Dickens |
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| [Fishermen] Keep this in mind when you are fishing. Yates v. U.S. In opinions using a boatload of fishing metaphors, a divided Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday, February 25, 2015 that a federal criminal law against destroying corporate records cannot be used against a commercial fisherman for throwing undersized fish overboard to avoid prosecution. The ruling split the Court’s nine Justices widely on the question of how judges should interpret federal laws.
In the four-one-four ruling in Yates v. United States, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg noted in the main opinion that the government had claimed that the 2002 law “covers the waterfront, including fish from the sea” — a sweep that the Court rejected. Justice Elena Kagan, for the four dissenters, wrote that the other Justices had gone on a “fishing expedition” for support for the ruling, but the effort “comes up empty.” |
[Happiness] The guy on the radio said, “If you’re miserable, take 15 minutes off your day. Sit down. Write down 3 good things that went well today. Do this every day.” |
| [Catch 22] The more affordable house we create will only bring more people from the mainland to fill them, adding to our need for more affordable housing. Don’t buy into this affordable housing thing. It’s really a way to skirt the law so developers can develop. “If you build it they will come.” |
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| According to the 2013 Homeless Point In Time Report published by the Monroe County Homeless Services Continuum-of-Care Inc., there are about 480 homeless people in the Lower Keys, After subtracting those in jail or at KOTS, children, boaters and Stock Island’s homeless, there are likely around 50 people truly sleeping on the streets or “in the mangroves” of Key West. Link |
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| The old road prison is now being cleared off and plastic trash barriers are in place. Newspapers say nothing about what it is going to be — trailer park? |
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| “im not the suspect that was involved in the florida shooting” I am sure that the information from Nick Cruz’ postings on YouTube and elsewhere online suggests that he is severely mentally ill. Video |
[Sex Robots] The #metoo movement and divorce lawyers will in the long run create big problems for women. Why do you think some companies are pouring billions into developing sex robots? They are getting more life-like all the time and even now guys are buying them at $8,000 to $10,000. These robots no longer look like blow up dolls. In 10 years this will be a major world market. They are also working to incorporate artificial intelligence into these robots so they can seem more real. Link |
| Here’s a little story of the past when all of us were characters. Today we will discuss someone who just showed up out of the blue, just like most characters here. He immediately knew he belonged here. “H” lived in the shruberbs as a lot of the unique individuals do down here. H got to know everyone as he trolled the bars. Somebody, after a couple years, felt sorry for H and gives him a van to live in. He immediately starts a taxi service. There wasn’t much reliable service in those days. If you told H you needed to be picked up at 6 am he would park in your driveway after he got done drinking the night before. You get up. Then go wake H up and you got your ride. I remember a guy at the tiki bar fell asleep at the bar. They wanted to call the cops. A sweetheart at the bar says, “No, we will call H”. H shows up, looks at the guy and says, “Oh no, I don’t take luggage. (the guy wouldn’t wake up) We finally get one eye open and find out he lives on Little Torch, but not where. I ask H what would be the farthest he could go on Little Torch and what would it cost. He says, “$10.00”. I throw him a 20 and they are on their way. If you’ve lived here a long time you will remember H. If not, this is the way it used to be |
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| [Killing Kids] Everyone wants something to change except the NRA and their supporters. It appears that kids aren’t as important as their guns are. This school had a plan in place in case there was a school shooter, but it was no use. All talk and ‘plans’ are useless. Action is what’s needed, but the NRA is against any action that doesn’t put more guns in people’s hands. What a sick society when guns are more important than our children. |
[Picadillo]Lunch at Winn Dixie’s deli was, well, different! Girls, whatever you sold me and called picadillo was not remotely picadillo. For real, there’s no corn or beans or butter beans in real picadillo. Y’all, please grab a recipe and try to get right, what has been a long time island comfort food tradition. It was not bad, but it was not picadillo. Full Menu > Recipes > Main Dishes > Picadillo |
| [Cats & Dogs] Toxic relationships? Try not to laugh. Video |
 [“Flood Lights”] I’m with you on the lights, and it’s a really strange issue. Back in the day, and also after Irma, you could see the entire Milky Way and every constellation. Almost every star was given a name by the ancients. (Due to no tv, radio) It seems that every other new arrival brings a street light with them. I see a dark house with a flashlight it gets my attention. I see a house all lit up with someone walking around, I pay no attention. All lit up shows potential thief what to quick grab and go. All the new camera systems have night color vision and slightly visible red light to let savvy thieves know to stay clear. Some renters, like a lot of ignorant people, feel like they aren’t getting their money’s worth if they don’t light every light and dirty every towel, sheet, dish, etc in whole place. Same with fish carcasses, throw in canal. To much trouble t bag for trash. These ignorant people do the same thing when they stop at hotel. Turn everything on, dirty every towel, and take what they can. Get their moneys worth. The people who live here have no excuse for bright outdoor lights. Just ignorant. “Had one in Jersey”. Scared. Needed one. Need to be in 55+ place on the mainland. Or gated 55+ trailer camp. Get the hell off my island. |
| [Air Dancing] Ok, I’m impressed! Video |
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| [Spanish Channel] Anyone know how much the new fishing bridge cost, who approved it, where did funds come from, and where are they going to park? Hopefully, not at our only boat ramp. |
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| Google had a suggested search when I was looking for Coconut Telegraph. “things to do in big pine key”. I clicked on it. First site up was a pill mill doctor ion Key West next was ad for a bar. Y’all got it going on down there! |
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| Winn Dixie’s Chocolate covered strawberries. Link |
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| iPhones weren’t a war on rotary phones, they were a revolution. The horseless carriage wasn’t a war on horses, it was a revolution. The ice box wasn’t a war on salted meats, it was a revolution. Clean energy isn’t a war on coal, it’s a revolution. |
[School Shooting of the Week] Nothing will be done to prevent this happening again. We care more about our guns than our children. Sure, the talking heads will yip and yap about doing something and the TV will have interviews and crying families and the Government will have hearings, but nothing will change–nothing! I repeat, we care more for our guns than our children. |
| Orchid newsletter-Hi everybody. We’re so happy that we can at last return to our meeting room at the Fort. The meeting is next Sunday, Feb. 18 at 1pm. The program begins at 1:30. Speaker is Dan Christensen of Dan & Margie Orchids. He will talk about vandas.
If you want to take a trip to the mainland Friday or Saturday you might consider attending the Redland Open House A weekend of Sales and Free Classes. Feb. 16th, 17th, 18th 2018 9am – 5pm each day. Orchid Newsletter February 2018 |
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| [Big Pine Key Glass Works] I had some small plates (maybe) that on the back says “hand crafted by Big Pine Key Glass Works”. I was just trying to find some history or the value of them. They are blue and on the light trim, purple. One has the star of David on it, the other a menorah and the third is a Hebrew word. They all the have the number 25 on the back as well. Do you know these? Full Menu > Big Pine Museum > Big Pine Glass Works (Ed: Please send us a photo or two to add to the Museum’s collection) |
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| [“Dirty Money”] Checkout Netflix’s series called “Dirty Money”. Episodes span a variety of topics from VW’s diesel emission scandal to Donald Trumps history as a con man. Video |
[Chernobyl 32 Years Later] Photographer Vladimir Migutin travelled to Pripyat – a city in the Ukraine that once housed the families of thousands of men and women who worked at the nearby Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Link |
| [School Shooting] Sadness and despair – those were my first reactions. But then, quickly, I am hopping mad. My urge is to use a much stronger adjective but this is not a time to descend into profanity. What happened in that Florida school today is not ok. this is not normal. Our children should be able to go to school and be safe.
Remember the national panic over Ebola? It ended up killing one person. But there was a national consensus that we would do whatever it took to protect Americans. But when it comes to gun violence in schools, we just throw up our hands? Thoughts and prayers? Is that how we should have responded to threats like 9/11 as well? We like to call ourselves the best country on Earth. We like to say how we have a can-do spirit to conquer challenges. But all that self-congratulatory rhetoric rings pretty damn hollow on days like today. Anyone who says now isn’t the time to talk about gun violence, anyone who says there’s nothing we can do, anyone who offers up only thoughts and prayers is saying that they can’t be bothered with the hard work of trying to keep American children safe. Shame on them. And shame on our nation. ~Dan Rather |
[Poop Police] You can’t pick up your own dog’s waste? With all of the mess and trash that we are trying to get rid of, you’re going to leave that all along the edge of the road? You are a disgusting piece of trash. Be a responsible pet owner or give the dog to someone who is |
| I miss the old ‘daze‘ too. You did what you had to in order to survive. Nobody called anybody if you were doing something wrong. They just came over and told you. Boondocks was a happening. It started as an ice cream shop. The owners decided beer was better. ‘Cadillac Jack’ and Royal at No Name Pub |
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| There are no real Key Deer left; and real Conch’s know this is true. Every since the white tail deer were introduced, the original key deer species has evolved into a regular deer. There are bucks and does hanging around back of Winn Dixie you’d be proud to shoot in Kentucky. Protecting Key Deer has been a scam for a really long time. We also used to have pig island until FWC eradicated them, ending the locals holiday pig roast. In half of other state’s deer country, people feed and tame the deer just like here. Then they eat them like the Bible authorizes you to do. The manatee migrated from the West Indies and then came another FL scam. |
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| [“Artist should be farmers”] Ignorant post? I think if you could read and understand the meaning of that post, you might see where the artists are playing while you bust your hump working to support them, unless of course if you are one of them. See you in the welfare line and charity line. |
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